iPhone SE 2 will be the successor to 2016's iPhone SE. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s iPhone SE 2 could be pushed back beyond the March release some were expecting as a result of the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak causing disruption in Apple’s supply chain.

A report published Thursday claims that Apple has deferred orders for the flexible printed circuit boards (PCBs) for the low-cost handset. Orders initially scheduled for the first quarter have been delayed until the second.

According to a report published Thursday, the new entry level LCD iPhone has entered the final stages of engineering validation in Zhengzhou, China. That’s the stage at which the finalized hardware is tested and validated. Should all go according to plan, it will then undergo design validation and testing, prior to going into mass manufacturing.

Apple will make its new iPhone SE 2 (or iPhone 9?) official on March 31, a new rumor, citing sources within Apple, claims today. The low-cost handset is then expected to go on sale just a few days later.

The long-awaited successor to the popular iPhone SE remains on track for launch sometime next month, a top analyst on Apple’s supply chain in China said.

TF International Securities’ Ming-Chi Kuo said in a note to investors that coronavirus has not impeded production of the budget-friendly iPhone. The new handset is known as either the iPhone SE 2 or iPhone 9.

This week on The CultCast: Apple is prepping iPhone SE 2, but trouble in China could mean massive production delays across the entire tech industry. Plus: macOS leaks hint at big CPU upgrades on the way; and a celebrity calls out the MacBook’s troubled keyboards.

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At least one carrier in South Korea has already started accepted preorders for the rumored “iPhone 9.”

Korea Telecom (KT) has plastered posters and banners all over one store that suggest a new Apple handset will arrive immenently. But the picture it is using to depict the device looks awfully familiar.

The long wait for the successor to the iPhone SE may nearly be over and thanks to a new concept ad you can already get a good glimpse of what it will probably look like.

Mauro Battino unleashed his gorgeous iPhone 9 concept ad this morning that’s based on all the latest rumors. Armed with an A13 chip, the best LCD Apple’s ever made, Portrait Mode camera and new colors, the iPhone 9 could become a big hit. The best feature of all though might be its price tag.